Snow White and the Seven Times I Wished to Keep You Little

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Wish #5 To Keep You Little: Being Your Favorite Playmate

I have not passed this stage yet. I am still my daughter’s favorite playmate. She is always bringing me toys, dolls, and a variety of other objects to engage me in play. Her face will look up at me, her face eager with anticipation, and I cannot help but to feel her excitement. She is my favorite playmate, also. Of course, I also work from home and have a never ending list of chores and errands to accomplish. I cannot always drop everything I am doing and play, but I try to as often as possible.

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If you can put off your “to do” list for even fifteen minutes and get down on the floor and play, do it. Before long your little one will not want to play with you. He or she will have friends and playmates their own age and you will not be nearly as interesting. Savor this time and if you can, capture it on video for when your child gets older and claims to be bored. Show them how much fun you had with a paper towel holder and a handful of pipe cleaners.

Wish #6: To Keep You Little: Every Time You Grow Out Of Your Clothes

Just this week I went through all of my daughter’s clothes and packed away all of the cute little outfits that she has since grown out of. She grows so quickly that sometimes she never even has a chance to wear those cute little outfits that I so lovingly picked out. When my daughter was born, I was so proud of her chubby cheeks and chunky thighs. She has maintained those sweet cheeks, but she has lost quite a few rolls. I want her to grow and become healthy and strong, but oh how I miss kissing those deliciously meaty thighs!

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Instead of dwelling in the past, we can celebrate how big they are and congratulate ourselves for our part in the miracle of life. Here are some funs ways to celebrate:

Choose your favorite outgrown outfits and piece them together to make a quilt. You can make new memories snuggling together under your quilt of baby food stained onesies.

Check out Pinterest for a variety of hand print and foot print crafts. You can even create ones for each holiday to mark your child’s growth and festively decorate your home.

Wish #7 To Keep You Little: When You Have Never Been Hurt

Sure my daughter has received her share of bumps and bruises while toddling around. Teething is no picnic and we just survived her first stomach flu. But she has never really been hurt. She has never been let down or had her heart broken. I want to shield her from every ache, pain, and heartache, but I know it is impossible. I want to keep my little girl in a bubble, but I also want her to experience all that the world has to offer. And with joy, comes sorrow.

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When the time comes that my daughter comes to me with her first real hurt, I vow to listen attentively and empathize, no matter how trivial the heartache may seem to an adult. I will strive to be a sounding board while also teaching her strategies to problem solve. Most importantly, I promise to hold her, kiss her, and love her until the pain of that heartache becomes only a dull roar.

We cannot stop our children’s growth and we really do not want to…most of the time. What we can do is make time to stop and take stock of all of the precious little moments that go by way too fast. Our children’s bright futures will be upon us all too soon, so for right now let’s just enjoy them being little as they will never again be as little as they are today.

Brittany Ferrell has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Education. She has worked as an elementary school teacher for twelve years and was awarded "Teacher of the Year" 2011. In February 2014, Brittany and her wonderful husband, Jerome welcomed their miracle, Madeline Olivia to the world and she has chronicled her struggle to become a parent in her published memoir, "From Dream to Dream Come True: My Journey to Motherhood". Brittany writes about her fairy tale dream come true of motherhood on her blog, A Mama Tale.